REGIONAL OR LOCATION-SPECIFIC VALUE CHAINS – CALL FOR PROJECT IDEAS
Financed by the EU and the German government, “EU4ITD – Catalysing Economic and Social Life” (CESL) seeks to improve the people’s livelihoods in Georgian regions, thus contributing to a decrease in outward migration to the Tbilisi. The project is implemented by GIZ in the framework of the national initiative, the Pilot Integrated Regional Development Programme.
As part of its remit to stimulate or increase income generation (by activating untapped economic potential), CESL seeks to:
• Identify gaps in value chains which have a regional scope or are location-specific, and
• Provide financing to fill such gaps.
To this end, CESL is soliciting project ideas which could, after appropriate due diligence, be funded.
Such project ideas:
1. May be submitted by any non-governmental legal person which is both registered and operating in one (or more) of the following regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha, Lechkhumi, and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samstkhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli.
2. Must have a primary “public benefit” goal.
3. Must relate to a value chain which is either regional in scope and/or concerns a specific location (or locations) – for example, materials which are typically produced in a defined territory but used to manufacture goods elsewhere. Further, each value chain must relate directly to at least one of the regions indicated above.
4. Must clearly identify gaps in the existing value chain and propose solutions to fill them.
5. Must have an implementation period which ends no later than 27 September 2025.
6. Cannot involve investment by CESL in any land, infrastructure (including buildings) or plant owned by central or local government.
In the case of interest, applications should be submitted in Georgian to euitdcesl@giz.de using the attached form. Indicatively, maximum and minimum budgets are set at ₾225,000 and ₾75,000 respectively, though higher/lower amounts may also be considered. The call will remain open for applications until 31 May 2025.
After receipt of an application, CESL will conduct appropriate due diligence (e.g. contacting the applicant followed by a site visit). The project idea will subsequently be assessed against the criteria set out on the next page; in this process, the results of CESL’s due diligence activities will be taken into account. The applicant will be formally notified of the outcome of assessment, and in the case it is positive, CESL will proceed to negotiate in more detail concerning project content, modalities, and contractual relations (most likely taking the form of grant financing under a contract concluded between GIZ and the applicant). Note that contracts will only be concluded with legal persons which have updated their registration data in line with Law on Entrepreneurs.
In the case of queries, CESL’s regional representatives should be contacted as follows: nino.khukhua@giz.de (Guria, Racha, Lechkhumi, and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti), mariam.zhorzhikashvili@giz.de (Imereti, Samstkhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli), and zurab.tsignadze@giz.de (Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti).